Nazeef and Agincourt fought out a thrilling finish to the Gr2 Duke Of Cambridge Stakes (1 mile) at Royal Ascot with Nazeef getting the nod.
Nazeef edged Agincourt by a head with Queen Power a further 2-1/2 lengths away third to give trainer John Gosden a double and jockey Jim Crowley a treble.
The win was also the third on the day for Sheikh Hamdan.
Gosden said it had taken some cajoling to keep the now four-year-old Nazeef in training.
“The owner has never kept fillies in training. I did ask to keep Taghrooda in training as a four-year-old, because I thought she would have been invincible, but actually he doesn’t believe in that,” Gosden said.
“He did keep Enbihaar in training last year and she won all those G2s, so Angus Gold got down on the other knee and asked if we could keep this filly in training, and here she is winning a Royal Ascot G2 at four. I think if you select the right ones to keep in training, it can be a wonderful time for them.”
Gosden said Nazeef is likely to have a short break.
“I say a little rest, a good four weeks and there’s a great race called the Falmouth! I don’t think we’ll be running her back in a hurry, that’s for sure. Having won a G2, obviously you would love to see her get a piece of a G1; placed or something. She is a homebred filly and it is very important to the stud.
“She is by Invincible Spirit; they take a little dig in the ground. In the end they went hard and she outstayed them, so I said, ‘we’re not going to a mile and a quarter quite yet, old boy’.
“She is the sweetest filly – you go into the barn and she is the first to come and say hello to you. She is very affectionate and very genuine and very brave. She did nothing but improve last year, she went right through the handicap ranks and came into Listed this year.”